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Submit RFA for Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grant

Letter of Intent due February 25, 2015 

Application due April 3, 2015
 

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning recently announced the release of the Request for Application (RFA) for OCDEL Phase II of the Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone grant program. Over the course of three years, grant recipients will receive intensive supports focused on increasing the use of developmental screenings, implementation of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory, and local initiatives to strengthen relationships between early childhood providers and schools to foster P-3 alignment, to increase family supports and engagement, and to strengthen community networks of organizations supporting families. Best and promising practices will be documented and shared with other communities throughout the state. 


Interested applicants can access the RFA at the PA Keys Race to the Top web page

 

A pre-application webinar will be held on February 18, 2015 from 1-3 pm. To register for the webinar, please contact Samantha Gray at [email protected] using "2015 CIZ webinar" in the subject line. 

 

A P-3 alignment webinar will be held on February 25, 2015 from 9-11 am. To register for the webinar, please contact Samantha Gray at [email protected] using "2015 P-3 alignment webinar" in the subject line.

 

If you have any further questions, please contact Samantha Gray at 717-346-0650 or [email protected].

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Pennsylvania receives $24.3 million Early Head Start Child Care Partnership award


The Wolf Administration recently announced that the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will receive a $24.3 million grant to serve low-income, at-risk children and their families. The grant, from the Federal Administration for Children and Families, will be paid over four and a half years.

"This grant is a great first step towards ensuring that every child in Pennsylvania has access to quality pre-K education," said Governor Tom Wolf. "Pre-K and early education programs provide the foundation children need to enter school ready to learn."

OCDEL, jointly overseen by the departments of Human Services and Education, will use the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Award to expand the number of infants and toddlers receiving Early Head Start services in the commonwealth.

"Early childhood education is vitally important and we look forward to offering opportunities for more families to succeed," Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Ted Dallas said. "This grant not only addresses the needs of the infant or toddler in care, but the whole family unit."

The grant will also increase the quality of child care, enhance staff development and provide comprehensive Early Head Start services to vulnerable families.

"This grant supports the department's mission to serve the 'whole' student in their needs," said Department of Education Acting Secretary Pedro Rivera. "We remain committed to providing educators with the tools they need and families with the support they deserve to have students achieve academically."

Seventy nine organizations provided letters of intent in August 2014 and will be eligible to apply for partner grants, tentatively in March 2015. Further details will be publicized in the BUILD Early Childhood Newsletter and posted under Announcements on the PA Keys website

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surveyFamilies Invited to Share Experiences in Brief Survey

Deadline February 27

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is conducting a survey of parents of young children (ages birth to 3 years old) for their thoughts and experiences in accessing health care for their child, early care & learning, and information & supports.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and families can complete the survey anonymously.

The results of the survey will be used to inform the Infant/Toddler Steering Committee who will recommend strategies and policies to OCDEL. Please share this survey with families and friends.

The survey will close February 27, 2015. Click here to take the survey

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ETBInvitation to Apply for Expand the Brand Leadership in King of Prussia

Application deadline February 20 

 

Expand the Brand, a quality early learning communications and networking leadership group, is now accepting Expand the Brand logo applications for its next professional development series in King of Prussia. Expand the Brand seeks to help grow more early learning leaders by focusing on three main skill sets that form the foundation for effective communication: public speaking, messaging and planning. All of the topics and community outreach activities in the series work together to increase awareness, build demand and encourage support for quality early learning. 

 

Keystone STARS providers, Community Innovation Zone grantees and LEARN partners are especially encouraged to apply. 

 

For complete information, including the application, click hereThe application deadline is February 20, 2015. 

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Johnstown Students and Teachers Invited to Take Part in Bookmark Contest

Submission deadline: March 13

The Children's Book Festival of Johnstown is an annual event that connects top-selling, critically-acclaimed children's authors and storytellers with area kids. To kick off the festival, The Learning Lamp is calling on local students to use their imaginations and create a bookmark that tells a story. Their hand-drawn creations will be featured at the 7th annual Children's Book Festival of Johnstown, which takes place April 10-12, 2015.

The bookmark contest is divided into four age brackets, and new this year, teachers can enter to win a classroom set of books by submitting their students' bookmarks together. Submission deadline is March 13.

Click here to get information on how to submit an entry.

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Submit a Child's Original Story to the PSB KIDS Writers Contest


Students Kindergarten through grade 3 are invited to submit an original story to the PBS KIDS Writers Contest. The PBS KIDS Writers Contest encourages children in grades K through 3 to submit their own original illustrated stories for great prizes. Kindergarten and first grade stories must have a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 200 words. Children who cannot write may dictate their story to be printed, written legibly or typed. There's also a Classroom Sweepstakes this year (2015) for teachers. The contest is open to children throughout the United States.

No deadline is provided, but the contest ends with the announcement of national winners on or about July 15, 2015, so submit stories soon! Visit the PBS website to learn more, download the entry forms, read winning stories from previous years, and learn tips and techniques that will help a child write a winning story.
 

   
KEI
School Districts Invited to Participate in PA's Kindergarten Entry Inventory

All school districts throughout the state are invited to participate in Pennsylvania's Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI), a reliable reporting tool that offers teachers an instructional strategy for understanding and tracking a student's proficiency at kindergarten entry. The Kindergarten Entry Inventory is available to all school districts at no cost. Early learning programs and community partners can encourage schools in their district to participate with the KEI.

The tool collects information on a consistent set of standards-based indicators across the commonwealth. The KEI is based on Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood and the Pennsylvania Core Standards. KEI includes 30 indicators and provides a comprehensive profile that includes the domains of:
  • Social and Emotional Development;
  • English Language Arts;
  • Mathematics;
  • Approaches to Learning; and
  • Health, Wellness and Physical Development.
The KEI is intended to be used by kindergarten teachers to record a student's demonstration of skills within the first 45 calendar days of the kindergarten year. It is a snapshot of skills upon entry into kindergarten. Skills levels are determined by multiple sources of evidence.

Although all focus and priority schools are required to implement the Kindergarten Entry Inventory as part of their school improvement efforts, this opportunity is available to all non-focus and priority schools who wish to implement Pennsylvania's Kindergarten Entry Inventory on a voluntary basis beginning in the 2015-16 school year.

The KEI Invitation has information on how to apply to be a KEI partner, and supports provided to participants.

This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.
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GovernorsInstitutePA Department of Education 2015 P-3 Governor's Institutes: Updated Information
Application deadline February 23

There's still time to apply for the 2015 P-3 Governor's Institutes! Just announced is that PIL-ACT 45 Continuing Professional Education hours and reimbursement for mileage traveled is now available for P-3 Governor's Institute.

The 2015 Prekindergarten to Grade 3 (P-3) Governor's Institute: P-3 collaboration-Working Together for Student Success aims to help school districts, early learning providers and community organizations throughout the commonwealth make the vital connections and collaborations necessary for student success from birth through grade 3. The 2015 P-3 Governor's Institutes are being offered regionally for the following dates/locations.

Each Institute begins on Sunday evening and ends on Wednesday at noon:
June 14-17 Radisson Hotel Valley Forge, King of Prussia
June 21-24 Doubletree, Monroeville
July 12-15 The Ambassador Center, Erie
July 26-29 Hilton, Scranton

Most expenses will be covered for participating teams using Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant funds. Reimbursement for mileage traveled to the Institutes will be available. Act 48 and PIL continuing professional education hours and Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) hours will be offered.

Deadline to complete the application is February 23, 2015. The application can be accessed at 2015 P-3 Governor's Institute. If you have any questions, please contact Jolie Phillips at [email protected].

This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.
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Are You a Rural Child Care Provider? Take a Look at Keystone STARS!

A priority of Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) is to increase the number of regulated child care and Keystone STARS providers in rural counties. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is focusing recruitment and financial and other supports to interested providers in more than 30 rural counties across the state.

Because of the low number of child care providers participaticing in Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania is focusing recruitment and supports to the following Rural Recruitment counties: Armstrong, Blair, Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Fayette, Greene, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Northumberland Perry, Potter Schuylkill, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Venango and Warren.

In order to promote recruitment, the Regional Key RTT Coordinators are conducting local outreach about opportunities to promote their registration or licensing as a child care provider and supports to increase quality through Keystone STARS. Financial, Professional Development and Technical Assistance supports are available for providers in the targeted Rural Recruitment counties.

If you are or know of a rural child care provider in your area, interested in promoting a high quality program for children, please contact Toni Kurzinger by email [email protected]. Read an experience of a Fayette County provider, or get more information about Keystone STARS.

This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.
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CIZ Grantee Spotlight: Community Action Southwest, School Readiness & Engaging Families 

The Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone (CIZ) grant provides an opportunity to align and enhance the early childhood programming in Greene County. Community Action Southwest and Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School have partnered to focus on programming to support birth-5 alignment, transition, parent engagement, and support for families. This programming provides many opportunities for young children and their families to prepare for kindergarten and success throughout their early childhood years. 

These partners recognize the importance of engaging and supporting families for young children to be successful in their education. During March, Jefferson-Morgan will host an Early Childhood Fair, where families can register for kindergarten and learn about the various services and programs available throughout the Greene County area. Also planned is a day for the kindergarten teachers to visit the local Head Start site. In April, they will host one of the Pennsylvania One Book authors, Will Hillenbrand. Pre-K students and their families will have an opportunity to engage in activities and listen to a story, What A Treasure, read by the author.

Through the Community Innovation Zone grant, Community Action Southwest has provided a case manager to assist families with their financial, education, and employment goals. This portion of the program is available to families on-site at the elementary school. The goal is to support the well-being of families, enabling them to be able to focus on their child's education. 

This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.

Building Executive Function Skills in the Early Years

A recent brief from the Institute for Child Success, When Brain Science Meets Public Policy: Strategies for Building Executive Function Skills in the Early Years, provides an overview of executive function and self-regulatory skills (what they are and how they develop) and the importance of reciprocal, responsive relationships in building those skills. Highlighted is the critical role of early caregivers and the "3 R's" essential to brain development: reciprocal, responsive relationships.

In addition, the brief offers policy recommendations to support executive function skills in young children, including the adoption of dual-generation strategies, place-based approaches and developmental screenings.

For more information, read When Brain Science Meets Public Policy: Strategies for Building Executive Function Skills in the Early Years.

More Trends and Reports
 
Developing Problem Solving Flyer: Making decisions and learning how to solve problems is a big part of a child's development of social skills! Children need to understand the consequences of their actions and how their actions can affect others. This printable flyer, based on the Kindergarten, Here I Come Activity Guide, has tips to help children develop problem solving skills.

February edition of Baby Talk: The February edition of Baby Talk from Camille Catlett highlights information about how early caregiving experience can have long-term impact on social relationships and achievement, how brains are built, and more.

Penn State Better Kid Care On Demand Modules for Caregivers of Military Children: Four new online modules are available to help child care professionals understand the unique needs of military children in their care: Deployment Through a Child's Eye's; Connecting to Military Children Through Books: Reintegration:  When a Deployed Parent Comes Home; Reflect and Respect Children's Military-Connected Identity. Explore why and how early childhood professionals can intentionally and effectively respect and reflect children's military-connectedness in their programs.

Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs: From Mind in the Making and First Book is Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. Includes a book collection that combines children's books with tips for building the seven essential skills: focus and self-control, perspective-taking, communicating, making connections, critical thinking, taking on challenges and self-directed engaged learning. 

The Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN): A service of the Office of Child Care (OCC), now has a page on its web site dedicated to the new National Center on Early Head Start - Child Care Partnerships (NCEHS-CCP). The web page contains a wide range of links and resources on topics pertinent to Early Head Start - Child Care Partnerships.

Create Your Own Case Toolkit: New from Harvard Family Research Project is the Create Your Own Case Toolkit, a practitioner-driven professional development resource designed to help those who work with families---teachers, librarians, afterschool staff, and camp counselors, to name a few---reflect on experiences with families and recreate stories as cases. The resulting cases developed can be used to create conversations among practitioners and families in parent caf�s and formal meetings. These conversations will enable practitioners to better serve children and families.  

Free USDA Resources for National School Breakfast Week (March 2-6, 2015): Request free Team Nutrition materials for your preschool or School Breakfast Program activities. Shipping usually takes 2-4 weeks. Order now to have materials for National School Breakfast Week.

Video: WATCH ME GROW! Watch this short video from the Office of Head Start to explore basic principles of child development. This information can help staff as they support and individualize care for infants and very young children.  
   
The Heinz Endowments: The Foundation offers grants to nonprofit organizations in Southwestern PA in focus areas which includes Children, Youth & Families, and Education. Application is made online following the completion of an eligibility quiz. Deadline March 1.

The Family and Children's Services Fund of Lebanon County: Grants to be awarded in 2015 to nonprofit, social service agencies in support of projects which serve families and children in Lebanon County. Deadline April 10.

U.S. Airways Education Foundation grant: US Airways Education Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for educational programs focused on economically disadvantaged or developmentally disabled children, or programs that increase student interest and academic achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Service area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. Deadline May 1.
February 18, 2015
Community Events 

 

Find Kindergarten Registration Information for your school! 

 

Through February: Kindergarten Readiness Workshop, Mifflin

Through May: Northumberland-Snyder Counties Special Olympics PA swim practices, Shamokin 

Through May 29: The School District of Philadelphia Kindergarten Registration 

February 21: 25th Annual Children's Fair, Buckhorn

February 24: Smart Kids Winter Fest, Washington 

February 27-28:  Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking Early Intervention, Pittsburgh

March 7: PA's Promise Night at the Phila 76ers, Philadelphia 

March 11-12: State Rep. Dan Miller's 2nd Annual Children & Youth Disability & Mental Health Summit, Pittsburgh 

March 21: Family Fun Fest 2015, Indiana 

March 31: Kurt Kondrich presents The Upside of Down Syndrome, Greensburg 

April 12: Phillies celebrate Pennsylvania's Promise for Children Day, Philadelphia 

April 24-25: Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking Early Intervention, Pittsburgh 

Professional Events

 

  
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Email information to Mary Hall, [email protected]